James McEvoy in "The Conspirator"The story of Mary Surratt, a boarding house owner who was convicted and hanged for her marginal (and perhaps non-existent) role in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, has obvious possibilities as a drama. And obvious is as deep as we ever get in “The Conspirator,” a clumsy, slow, maudlin movie about Surratt’s trial directed by Robert Redford.
“The Conspirator” claims that Surratt was railroaded by politicians and military authorities. But the film is as one-sided and overstacked as anything her prosecutors dreamed up. And the craft of the thing is so pedestrian as to crawl.
James McEvoy plays the Civil War veteran charged with defending Surratt (Robin Wright) against a prosecutor (Danny Huston) and judge (Colm Meaney) operating under the instructions of the Secretary of War (Kevin Kline). He’s reluctant at first (of course) but when he senses a miscarriage of justice (of course) he becomes an ardent advocate (of course) and risks losing social and professional standing (of course).
The film alternates the obvious with the puzzling (why cast so many English or Irish actors, or Justin Long, for that matter?). And a game cast can’t stop it from dragging. Redford never really developed a signature style as a director, and he’s lost so much of the potency and quality of his earlier works (I’m partial to “Quiz Show”) that he might as well be making educational films. Indeed, “The Conspirator” feels more like a textbook than like something you’d pay to see.
(
120 min., PG-13, multiple locations)
Grade: C-minus